#anyway good luck for worlds shoma!!

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Personal recap GPF 2023 Men SP

Not that anyone cares for this but I bring this back anyway, also it's a personal opinion so if you don't agree that's completely fine with me. 😊 I usually posted recaps on @jennibeultimate but for some reason it saved it here 🤷

Congratulations to Ilia, Shoma and Yuma for posting scores above 💯! 🥳

Shoma Uno - What an amazing SP from Shoma! 😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥🔥Shoma is on a totally different level of skating when it comes to choreography, emoting to an audience and the step sequence was glorious. 🔥🔥🔥Also Shoma 3 out of 3 SPs with a 💯+ score and 4T3T when he didn't manage to include 4T3T last season at all. This is already a huge success and shows you some unknown consistency. 106,02 is also his 2nd highest SP ever at almost 26 years. It's his 9th senior season, but he looks as confident as never before.

I think though that Shoma's PCS were too low. Yeah I am aware he had the highest PCS of the 6 competitors but yet how can they all be within just 4 points??? I mean if Ilia is getting 44 Shoma should get 50!!!

Scoring aside Shoma showed he didn't come to play and that he won't go down without a fight! Everything else - scores or placements - aren't in his hands!

Ilia Malinin - Ilia's 4A was so casual wow 🔥🔥🔥Ilia with a world record BV🔥...that x on the TES box had me shook, but ok judges did it right (besides that Belgian judge with the -5 GOE 💀)...not sure if the 4A was really worth it (Shoma's PB TES score is 62,36 from Worlds 2022, Ilia's today was 62,53 with a 4A) but I mean today it did win him the SP and a personal best score... Ilia's PCS however wtf💀💀💀 I am ok with Ilia winning the SP though I personally would have seen Shoma in first but well...good job Ilia! 👏👏👏

Yuma Kagiyama - I love Yuma's SP. And his 4S is chef's kiss 😍 The best 4S of the business! I am sooo happy Yuma is back in form! I also think the point difference is ok. Still yeah Yuma's PCS in comparison to Ilia's...just no...

Kevin Aymoz - An artist on the ice! 🩵 Shame about the 3A. He only has outsider chances at a medal but I think he's just happy to be there. And I am glad he is there, he brings such a different style to skating and such unique movements!

If we talk about uniqueness we have to talk about Adam Siao Him Fa! Such a shame about the popped Lutz. In this field this mistake can cost you the Gold but there is still the free skate and when CoC teached me any lesson, then that Adam can skate brilliantly in the free to make up for it and that a 15 point lead means nothing. But ofc it's going to be much harder for him. I think his PCS suffered from the mistake, apart from the mistake I liked his performance. 😊

Kao Miura also made a costly mistake but much less a problem than Adam's mistake. I think skating after Shoma and Yuma wasn't helpful for his PCS. He is a very energetic skater and I really like his program. I just think that of the ppl in the field (apart from Ilia) his skating isn't as refined and looks a bit rushed. His speed is tremendous. 🔥 He has a new season best, which was a bit surprising considering the mistake...but I am not complaining, judges weren't stingy with anyone in particular...

Nothing is decided yet and this will be an exciting free skate! Ofc the skaters leading atm have a much better position but they are close together and one mistake can change the order.

Men definetly weren't menning which is great. Just two minor mistakes and one big one! 👏👏👏👏

Good luck for the free skate everyone!

Chart by @ bigfanofskating (Twt)

[iindigo-puff]

emma + shoma: team uno/uno

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap Worlds 2021 - Men SP

If you thought I won't do it then you thought wrong 😂

King Yuzu slayed! ❤️ 🥳🥳🥳

Just look at this picture by Joosep Martinson, it says all about the fire 🔥 and energy of the program. Such an entertainment! No score can tell what performance that was. German commentators in ARD One and ESP both said this was the best SP ever skated. Well then....here is the disappointment, it doesn’t have the best score. 😕 106 enough for first but imo the PCS could have been way higher (only one 10.0 - c'mon he deserves all the 10s). Especially when Nathan receives just 1 point less for a program with a fall and just half the choreographic content...but what is new??? Overall I am just really glad Yuzu skated clean. The rest is not in his power.

Shoma why such a silly mistake? 😭 Program is superb! Loved it ❤️

The energy, the fire was all there but what a silly place to fall. A 3A of all jumps Shoma really??? Daniel Weiss (German comment on ARD) gushed all the way about how Shoma deserves high 9s for his skating, because of what he can do with his skates. And yeah I think the mistake costed on PCS. I think if Nathan can score 46 PCS with a mistake that would be very well justified for Shoma too and Shoma did a way better interpretation...Anyway I think the score was well enough for a mistake and I am super glad he made the last group. And he is not a SP skater anyway. So pls no silly mistakes in the free! 🙏And actually all that matters is that Shoma found the fun in skating again. Two years ago he probably would have been heartbroken with such a skate. Today he smiled and even joked in the interview arena. I love that. 😍

Photo by Asahi

Yuma Kagiyama was superb. 👌What a SP debut. The security was insane. 💯 was well deserved. You go Yuma! 🥳 Amittedly not a big fan of the music but the way he did the program was amazing! I am really sceptical though if he can maintain that carefree attitude he portrayed in the free skate...if he can then congrats kid you probably earned yourself a medal. 😊

Now the gushing about Team Japan is done. I could say a lot more though. 😅

Where to start with Nathan? The fall was really unexpected, you could just see it rattled him a lot. Until the combo was done there was hardly any commitment to the program. I already said his PCS were too high imo but with world champ bonus this was expected. And actually if they give a youngster debut 43 PCS how can they give Nathan with his reputation less? Is it right? No, but that's how reality is. In general ofc Nathan had the hardest layout, the BV was still there hence he didn't drop lower. I don't agree on Nathan's score but this is not his fault. And dammit ppl celebrating Nathan's fall are just mean. Again the scoring is not his fault!!! I absolutely wouldn't have predicted Nathan in 3rd.

Keegan Messing delivered! So happy for him! Canada is on a good way to earn a 2nd spot! 🥳 Such a lovely charming program from Keegan! ❤️ Last group probably a thing he didn't expect to see...

Mikhail Kolyada: The only reason Misha doesn't have an arsenal of titles is that he is one of the skaters with the most stupid mistakes all the time. He didn't put the full risk and a 4T combo he can do in his sleep probably, but nope mistake. This could have broken 100 and would have deserved it for the choreography, the way it was performed, the skills of Misha, but those silly mistakes...argh. I think they will keep him off podium because skating clean is not in Misha's repertoire...sorry to be so harsh but it's really upsetting that this talented man cannot deliver his standard. I am only so harsh on him because I know he can do more. I love the program for Misha though 😍

Jason Brown was scored like I actually would score Jason...not in comparison with what others got though like Nathan and his PCS (sorry Nathan that bugs me you see, not you the judges ofc) It's probably a very unpopular opinion but imo his scores are usually too high 🤷‍♀️ (His GOEs are often comparable to Tutberidze's ladies) So actually I am fine with Jason's place...I am not a fan of the program I liked many other SPs better of him but I know many ppl loved it and it was perfectly fitted to the music and Jason did super well but it's just not my cup of tea. 😅 (don't stone me!) I do like Jason very much though as a person and a skater, I may be just less euphoric about Jason!

Kevin Aymoz did well. He has some cool moves going on. I am not sure if I like the program or not but I love to see him perform. And I am super happy he made such a good skate because his last appearance I witnessed on Euros 2020 was heartbreaking. Well done Kevin! 👍

I have never seen Junhwan Cha so secure like he performed here! 👏👏👏👏Probably the first time all worked really well and he didn't receive URs, everything was perfect. 👌

Some other pleasant surprises of today were :

Lukas Brigtschi - good program and musically well performed, he improved a lot through a year 👏👏👏

Nikolaj Majorow - the cartwheel was cool. The energy and the program were fun to watch. 👏👏👏

Han Yan - so glad he is back. This gliding, those arm movements - wonderful. 😍 😍 😍

Deniss Vasilijews - they should have given him more PCS. 😤 He was so good. 🤩

Donovan Carillo - this ray of sunshine deserves the world! ❤️

I am always glad to see Alexei Bychenko and Michal Brezina. They may not skate perfectly. But at their respective ages the can still fight with the youngsters! Admirable!

I am very sorry for Boyang Jin. It just didn't go well. I am glad to see he gets help by BOrser but I wonder if the coaching change happened too late?

I am not a Vincent Zhou fan at all but no one deserves a skate like this. To not make the free was right but is tough. I am sorry. Only in the men discipline can a skater be a medal contender and not qualify. Who would have guessed this?

Good luck for the free skate for everyone!

[figureskatingandrainbows]

WTT Day 2

The men are back to their regularly scheduled chaos. That was a hot mess. 

Shoma can’t do a quad toe anymore, but he is skating on new boots, so he is forgiven. He nearly got the 3A-4T, so hopefully that will happen next year. Also, a single flip on your 3A-eu combination? Shoma! FIGHT FOR THE TRIPLES!

Kevin Aymoz did well, happy for him. His free skate was very nice, and his slides are to die for. 

Evgeni Semenenko did well too, although Simon (the ISU commentator) has labeled him the next big star and future world champion, because  Yuma Kagiyama, Shun Sato,  Andrei Mozalev, Petr Gumennik, and Maxim Naumov don’t exist anymore. Evgeni’s good, but he’s missing that wow factor for me. He is the only consistent Russian man now, though.

Mikhail fell apart in the second half, but not horribly so. He popped two jumps and stumbled on some landings and Misha why can’t you be consistent? He put up a really high score though and his program was as lovely as always.

Jason... landed his quad salchow! It was only underrotated! And let’s move on. 

Daniel Grassl did well. He landed all of his jumps. His quad flip and loop were  underrotated but otherwise was clean! Simon was looking at the 4Lo and thought it looked clean, but it received a <, so...

Adam Siao Him Fa had a nice redemption skate. Our chaos Canadian boys both fell to pieces, so good luck deciding who goes to Nebelhorn, Skate Canada.

Yuzuru did way better than at Worlds, but he popped his quad sal and I facepalmed so hard. If he hadn’t popped it, he would have won. His triple axels were lovely, and his small mistakes on his jumps cleverly disguised as choreography. His program is improving and I think he’s going to be a real favorite for the Olympics next year no matter what.

Nathan was a hot mess by Nathan Chen standards, which means he did really well by normal standards. He joined Shoma in the single-flip-off-an-euler club, and wasn’t in top condition with a couple of small mistakes. He won the free by ten points, which is a small margin for him. Anyway, a clean Yuzuru versus a clean Nathan like in the short next year is going to be insane. And if they have their showdown at the Olympics... it’s going to be so good!

Shoutout to Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who are becoming a top-ten pairs team! Can’t wait to see you at the Olympics!

In conclusion for the men: chaos reigned, no one was clean, Simon was overly excited about Evgeni, Shoma is still chaos baby, bring back Mark Hanretty, the ice needs saged, oh boy the ladies’ free is tomorrow, bring back Mark Hanretty, and the Olympics (and nationals) are going to be incredible next year.

Also, ISU, bring back Mark Hanretty please. Chris Howarth and Simon Reed make some very aggravating and sometimes incorrect claims about placements, jumps, pronunciations, and planned program content. Everyone adored Mark Hanretty. He actually did his research and understands skating. 

[sugar-petals]

Can u introduce yuzuru to us the caro way?👀

so you want to know about the one and only. ♡😌

yuzuru hanyū (25) of sendai, japan: the most beautiful ice prince with a heart of gold.

….an artist clearly not of this world, he’s been sent to us from another realm. 19 world records, two olympics won, dubbed the greatest figure skater of all time. and the most precious bean on top of that.

but let’s start from the beginning, shall we ♥︎

so, want to spot yuzu on the ice? use this checklist. slender silhouette, an even slimmer waist, feather-like outfits (he sketches those himself; the fandom lovingly calls him swanyu), soft blushy face. he has great androgyny.

outside of performances, you see him either with a deer’s gaze or the brightest, biggest eye smile. also, he’s usually found sitting with his wife: 

which is the ice 😄 these two are together forever. you can discern yuzu from a mile away by how he treats his working ground. 

there is a purity to him. you’d not guess that this is one of the most ardent athletes if you didn’t see what’s around his neck after competitions. the guy’s cuteness is as compelling as his skating technique.

look for it: yuzu’s face is super suave and rosy up close, even after his most energetic performances. some men are handsome, others pretty, he is both. 

even acoustically, he’s hard to miss. applause is all around, and he’s highly expressive. if you see a crying young man getting the high score, that’s yuzuru hanyu. you’ve not seen more beautiful happy tears.

and score reactions, anyway:

so, aye loves, the rumors are true. a cutie-pie off the ice, animated, a real unabashed meme — yuzu is easy-going, talkative. cheery, cheeky, one of a kind. his facial expressions are a league of their own.

if you thought this is the sort of guy who watches cat videos, you are correct 😄

yuz-uwu hanyu, everybody:

his undoubtedly feline behaviour is often unexpected, it stands out with its adorableness, too. a sweetheart par excellence. 

and, how else could it be: vice versa, the big beast on the rink. he’s cutesy, dorky, very well-spoken in daily life, but when it comes to skating, his seriousness escalates. you blink once and suddenly hanyu is a bedazzling, strutting lion :’D his performances stun with confident elegance.

he becomes full of ardor, drama, and focus. you’d never suspect so much fire burns in him. a showman and ambition icon, hands down. 

his skating is dynamic, perfected, and emotional. if you want to see art and the extra mile, tune in when hanyu competes.

the downside is; more light, more shadow. it leaves him crawling on the ice afterwards. yuzu performs so hard, it’s worrying.

he delivers it all. you won’t believe it:

this guy is an asthmatic.

the symptoms aren’t as bad as they used to be, but there are still regular attacks. he said that he’ll never take it as an excuse and often recalls how he started skating because of it. he’s a badass, extremely inspiring. yuzuru defies all limits, including gravity. his jumps have legendary status. 

off the rink, you guessed it: he turns into a wholly different person. 

it all dissolves completely when he’s dorking around again. 

don’t let it deceive you, he’s the no other option than first place type. he could not be any more decorated with titles, he achieved the grand slam in all competitions as of 2020. and still, king of sportsmanship hanyu is respectful and smiley towards all colleagues and never lets anyone feel left out. especially when it comes to his juniors (e.g. yuma kagiyama, 16, below) which says a lot about him.

he bows in every direction before an audience, too. lower than a 90° angle, even. this is more polite than any existing formality in japan.

talk about audience: i introduced fellow japanese skater shoma uno last week, who’s more uncomfortable with social contact and aggression. yuzu, extrovert he is: the exact opposite. he withers away with no people and competition. he’s befriended rivals, had crises over not having someone who could challenge him. when a competitor retires, he’s the one crying in their arms (e.g. with team mate and bff javier fernandez from spain below).

beside his competitive spirit and princely wow factor, hanyu is popular for his winnie pooh tissue box that he caresses, squeezes, and carries everywhere. he loves good luck charms & rituals, pooh is the most important one.

fans throw pooh plushies on the ice after his performances because of it. since it’s gotten so intense, yuzu recently started cleaning them up himself on top of the flower girls for the upcoming skater who could get delayed otherwise. (more about what happens with the piles of plushies later.)

so, the burning question is. 

what made yuzuru hanyu emerge so outstanding an entertainer? how does someone causing so much uproar become like that? it’s not just what kind of appearance he was given, although he really looks his part to a T. you don’t have to be an insider to see it right away.

like literally to a fault. and you can tell the way his blades sound on the ice is different. it’s soft even if he does the most hardcore quadruple jumps. i think it’s because his drive to do this is a higher one, hanyu has an altered relationship with the ice. where his devotion comes from has a more severe reason so, massive trigger warning. 

this is no exaggeration: yuzuru is considered a hero to the japanese. a survivor of the earthquake 2011, he narrowly escaped the collapsing rink in his hometown on that very day. he’s often talked about how the ice shattered underneath his feet and it was the moment that defined his life forever. he could have been dead by the age of 16. his motivation has been set ever since. this man is compelled by something bigger, that’s why you hear it and you feel it. he wants to skate not just for himself but others and seize every day. 

much of his copious charity work — that’s where all the pooh plushies go — went to mend the consequences of the tsunami ever since, he’s looked upon as a great hope in japan. the minister gave him the people’s honor award in 2018. 

now you know why yuzuru has such a fanbase and treats the ice as sacred, you see it in every gesture. his manners are without a single flaw, he helps staff repair the ice after performances. 

you might think it’s odd, but he honors the ground. he’s invested in the integrity of it. that’s why he’s the best skater. it’s gratitude and the will to live fully.

he hates to fall on the ice, he hates to damage it. alongside his feathery weight, that’s why the sound he makes while gliding along is so tender. 

i think that’s also why hanyu’s signature element is the ina bauer. it doesn’t rely on brutal force, instead this element slides across the rink like a swan. yeah, oh my god.

it’s his most well-known dramatic move. the way he surrenders into it. 

hanyu’s back arch and perfect split allow him to do elements no other male skaters can. his biellmann spin, for instance. i know, it’s ridiculous.

and those are just two elements of dozens and dozens. hanyu is a kinetic wizard. i highly rec this record-breaking delivery of his olympic program. in front of his home crowd! he’s just… mind-boggling. i live for his smiles here.

exceptional skater, exceptional mentor: it’s time we look at another puzzle piece that made yuzu the way he is. the masterful brian orser is hanyu’s beloved coach. missing gold by just one mistake at the olympics 1988, brian is now committed to give others what he couldn’t have— successfully so.

orser took the ice prince to gold twice, this hasn’t happened in 66 years. brian is the nicest and most supportive pooh carrier and yuzu’s utmost rock. hanyu’s talent rests safely in these hands.

he gets strict about punctuality lmao! but other than that, his guidance is gentle. canadian he is, brian’s courteousness mixes well with yuzu’s politeness. their bond is strong. as. hell. 

brian picked up yuzu from rock bottom several times. most fateful being hanyu’s accident with a fellow skater during competition warm-ups nov 2014. they collided at a high speed, it was unspeakably nasty. yuzu got knocked out for half a minute and had grave breathing problems but still decided to skate on with what later turned out as an almost-concussion. brian was the most worried ice dad in the world that day.

yuzu cried and crouched and bled like mad and my heart has been broken ever since. i hope he never suffers like that again. promise me you don’t search up the video, it’s a harrowing watch like a stab to the chest. sadly enough, hanyu’s body has still been a notorious wreck, esp. ankle issues regularly give him a hard time 😔

it hurts like a bitch with every jump landing but he takes meds and still manages to win, god knows how. sometimes even with crutches on the podium. at his worst, he’s still the best, it’s a tragedy.

he’s been recovering, or always is, but he pushes himself through injuries. his ambition and perfectionism are boundless. the cause is more important to him than his well-being. this is not an easy guy to stan once you see how he sacrifices and self-destructs. so, it’s good someone protects him. 

mostly from himself because nobody has profoundly surpassed hanyu. he has let himself no choice than to contest himself. not even health, only age can stop yuzu. i think that brian understands this ‘curse of a genius’ effect. his mere presence can make hanyu say these rare words:

his two other coaches contribute to that. tracy wilson (left) has proven to understand his playful side the best while ghislain briand (right) helps yuzuru deal with his fears. so you got 3 people taking care of the golden boy. brian once said: “he is very sheltered” and you can see it’s true.

yuzu eased into learning english and communicates well with his coaches. like with everything, he studies hard and often forces himself to speak during interviews to practice. his skills are astounding. his speaking voice is also very soothing, very amicably low and high alike. yuzu is highly intelligent. he always says something eloquent and interesting.

now, privately, hanyu is very much like you’d expect someone so devoted to skating would be like. he doesn’t go out, has no social media, can’t eat nor sleep very well. no cameras allowed during practice. it figures he is attached to winnie pooh, think about it. in the cartoon, pooh is someone who sleeps, eats, and engages with friends plenty. 

these are the things hanyu can’t do, doesn’t have time/energy/incentive for. he is barred from balance in life but can at least admire this little carefree plushie for it. especially because pooh represents eating lots while yuzuru doesn’t have a good relationship with food (he says it doesn’t go well with jumps etc.), hanyu lives vicariously through him. 

what’s more, you have to see how he throws himself onto others and never wants to let go, yuzuru is extremely cuddly. 

to the degree that mere social customs can’t meet how much he really needs. so, what else can he resort to, he loves mascots and plushies. it’s how the tale goes in japan generally, tough work ethic, high responsibility, high pressure, so people turn to cute fluffy things.

he always fondles pooh’s head, even pretends he’s come to life so he has someone to snuggle with. i think that his isolated lifestyle doesn’t help. so, he gets his affection at least there, you can see how happy it makes him. and again: he does this all for charity.

that’s why fellow skaters are so important to hanyu. it really brings out his social spirit and comforts him best, it’s so wholesome. i’ve not seen someone react so relieved to being embraced, like he’s not been touched for months. skating this, skating that. at the end of the day, hanyu wants love.

as he once said, what motivates him is to express himself in the first place. hanyu is a romantic. it’s written all over him. it reflects in his music choices, his elegant motion, how he designs his outfits:

… and how thoughtfully he talks about marriage. he has big plans for starting a family and coaching after he retires. i won’t be the only one squeezing lucky charm pooh in my imagination so it turns out well for him. please make this heart of gold heal and see all his wishes come true ♡🐻

[yuzusorbet]

27 Feb 2018, interview on 'Minna no News': 

Interviewer (I) "Congratulations on your amazing results!" Yuzu "Thank you."

(I) "How are you feeling, the medal has the weight of something you wanted from the bottom of your heart, I assume?"

Yuzu "Yes I am feeling the weight of it. But this is not the weight that only I can carry around. It was achieved by the effort of everyone. So I want to share this 'weight' with them."

(I) "I am sure there are many people who were happy for you. Please, take a seat"

Yuzu "Thank you."

(I) "We had you and Shoma in this show after the 2017 World Championships. You won the gold and you were smiling. Yet you looked like you were still in a fight towards the Olympics. Compared to back then, you now look that you are finally freed."

Yuzu "Yes, I actually feel being released now. It was like facing a dead end with no luck left. I cornered myself, and it was quite a difficult situation. I bet and sacrificed so many things. So I am fulfilled as all my sacrifices and work paid off, in a way."

(I) "Would you summarise that the past 4 years was all for the gold medal?"

Yuzu "Well, it was not just for the Olympics. However, everything was done for skating, for sure. Of course, everything was linked to the Olympics but I put my best effort in all competitions one by one. The consequence of all effort led me to the Olympics."

(I) You spoke of sacrifices, so there were a lot of hardships...

Yuzu: Yes... for the sake of skating, I had to choose what to take and what to give up a lot. But given the consequence that brought me this happiness and the happiness to all my supporters, I am glad (I did what I did)"

(I) "So you think you received massive support?"

Yuzu "That's right. Of course I had big support to recover from my ankle injury. But I have never felt, not even once, that I could skate only with my own strength. I really think it was all due to the support."

<chart of past 4 years> (I) "Here is the brief history of your last 4 years. Were you thinking about winning the next Olympic gold medal straight after Sochi in 2014?"

Yuzu "Yes, I was thinking about it."

(I) "Was your next goal the gold in Pyeongchang already?"

Yuzu "Yes"

(I) "(scrolling down the screen) Look at this. There was the accident, sickness, injuries. How do you describe your last 4 years?"

Yuzu "Well...It was long. So many things happened and it was a meaningful time. But I always had a life with big ups and downs anyway, the earthquake, closing of the rink. I have been living a life of many obstacles all the time. So looking back now I've come to understand that's how my life goes."

(I) "You pick Seimei which you scored the world highest record with in 2015 to reuse. Was it a part of your gold winning plan?"

Yuzu "Yes. Since that season when I broke the world record many times, I have already decided to use this programme in Pyeongchang. It is my masterpiece and the one I can perform really well."

(I) "And on your road to Pyeongchang, the injury happened in November last year. How did you feel when it happened?"

Yuzu "Yes it was a rough time... (watching the scene of the fall) ohh ouch.... It's really painful...."

(I) "Ahh does it hurt by watching it, oh I'm so sorry..."

Yuzu "It was a hard time for sure, but people who cheer for me continuously cheered for me. And the skaters I respect and admire kept on raising the voice that they believed in me. So I strongly felt that I had to believe in myself."

(I) "I assume that you felt fear, panic, frustration during the injury time?"

Yuzu "I certainly had frustration. When I resumed practise, I decided to take painkillers as I could not jump due to the pain. I was panicking after the decision as there was not much time left."

(I) "Did you feel pressure that you cannot betray your fans and supporters?"

Yuzu "I did feel a sense of responsibility, but it was not a feeling of betrayal or not. It was more like a duty. Knowing people whom I admire believe in me. Because I could believe in them, it was not so much about if I could believe in myself. Their words naturally sank in me. So I always had a confidence to win"

(I) "How did you train in Canada when you could not skate?"

Yuzu "The training for figure skate actually does not have many options for that situation. For example, there is a training called rotation practice which we jump and do rotations on the ground. Or we practise in front of a mirror as we do some ballet-like moves. But this time I had some training tips and ideas from short track and speed skating to keep my cardio. I also used a stationary bike."

(I) "Did you feel prepared and confident when you landed in Korea?"

Yuzu "On the day before I flew into Korea, my condition finally reached the level that I aimed for. I was feeling disappointed until that day, thinking 'Oh no, I can't win when my jumps are so bad'...but on the previous day of my departure I finally could jump alright. So I was confident."

<9:06> (I) "How do you look back on your SP and FS?"

Yuzu "SP was good. Even FS, I did everything I had to do."

(I) "We all cheered 'yes Hanyu is back' in SP. Did you feel calm to go back to the competition after a long while?"

Yuzu "No I wasn't calm. It could have been different if it wasn't the Olympics, but fortunately I had a confidence as the gold medalist in Sochi. I experienced it, and I let myself admit my confidence from that experience. It eventually worked well for the good result."

(I) "People talk about artistic quality of the performance. How do you think about the balance of technique and artistry of figure skate?"

Yuzu "Artistry is only possible if you have technique. [t/n. then he says it's just like artists who paint....] [we are not sure how to best translate his analogy, so it’s omitted.]

(I) "So you need to build up technique for the beautiful artistic performance?"

Yuzu "Yes. Technique itself IS the artistry."

<Pooh rain > (I) "The Pooh rain was bigger than usual. Did you feel the cheers of your fans more than usual?"

Yuzu "Yes, especially for the last lutz jump, I was fighting with some anxiety and pain, and I almost fell. I think the fans literally 'supported' me."

<about the scores> (I) "Let us talk about a little more technical stuff. The GOE of your SP. Your 3A got +3. How do you, the skaters, read those?"

Yuzu "The jumps. 3A, 4S, 4T, their max GOE is +3. So I check them first. But please also look at the spin and the step sequence. You might think the spin only got 1.4 but the max GOE of spin is 1.5. And the max for step sequence is 2.10. So it is huge that I could get good GOE in those elements."

(I) "let's look at your FS. Your 3A got +3 in SP, 2.14 in the 3A combo in FS. And you mentioned 4A in the press conference. Does it mean the axel jump is so special to you?"

Yuzu "Well, when you look at the score, 4S, 4T, and 4S of the 2nd half all got high GOE. I think it was the reason I could win. As for Axel, yes I have special feelings for it.  The first jump I did after the earthquake, when I resumed my training on the ice, was 3A. So it was like my new start line. So yes, 3A is very special to me."

(I) "Now Pyeongchang is over. I understand your next motivation is 4A. What about other goals, such as breaking the world record score again?"

Yuzu "No, I am not thinking about that. We have been told for a while that the rules would change (after the Olympics), we have no idea how the new rules will affect the scores, including the world highest score. For the last 4 years under the current rule, I could achieve the world highest score in all three, SP, FS and the total. I think that is the result of all my hard work."

(I) "Regarding 3 consecutive Olympic golds that no one has done before, how much feeling do you have for it now?"

Yuzu "None. (Hosts: None??? Hahaha. ) Before I talk about if I can do it or not, my answer to the question if I want to become a three consecutive gold medalist, is NO. But um...... if I could go, I will win. That's how I feel."

(I) "It can be said, you have become a 2-time gold medalist that even Plushenko whom you admire could not reach. Do you feel like that?"

Yuzu "Not at all."

(I) "He participated in the Olympics 4 times."

Yuzu (pointing at the sign 'withdraw' for Sochi) "It would be Gold if he could compete."

Yuzu "He had to withdraw from his single event but he still skated amazingly in the team event. I was in the same competition field with him and I somehow won. But he is still a legend after all and I could come this far because his words always motivated me."

(I) "Could you please write your current motivation or your goal as a figure skater? You don't feel burnt out, do you?"

Yuzu "No, I am not burnt out."

[Yuzu writes the words 'Perfect package'.]

(I) "Maybe you mention that all the time but please explain to us."

Yuzu "I've never said this before." (haha.....) Yuzu "My coaches always talk about 'total package'. It means you are good in all aspects of skate. 'Perfect package' means you are perfect in all elements and aspects. I know 4A will get a lot of attention from now. But within me, to me, I want to aim at becoming a skater who is perfect in everything. Everything is perfect, on my scale. That’s what I want to be."

------- 

Translated by Rena Moriguchi in YHIFG;  video thanks to pino16.17.  (for the hosts’ words, only the main points are translated.)

[Do not use nor re-post without permission] 

[seungkwanslowqualityenglish]

BF!Shoma Uno

yeah so like none of us personally know a thing about the “real shoma” so this is pure fiction and wishful thinking so don’t get all offended on me ok thanks enjoy

where you actually met Shoma, you couldn’t remember

you were never formally introduced

never managed to recall how you learned his name

could never name an exact day or place when you first saw him

it’s like he’d appeared out of thin air but at the same time had always been there

the most you could remember is that, when you first noticed him, Shoma had been like a very rude shadow

he was always around but where he came from and what he wanted, you didn’t know

he’d just appear at your elbow suddenly and blend in with the group

while he never said much of anything to anyone, he most definitely never spoke a word to you

not a single word

for months

Shoma would just stand there and avoid eye contact like he’d rather be literally anywhere else in the world

but in reality, Shoma was a very whipped little boy and was exactly where he wanted to be

he was infatuated, hooked on the very thought of you

something about you was just beyond hypnotizing but Shoma had no idea what it was

he could honestly say that there was nothing special or grand about you

you were pretty ordinary, kind of underwhelming

but he’d find himself thinking of you and then magically end up near you and your friends without remembering how he got there

how the two of you ever managed to build a friendship out of these awkward beginnings was still a mystery to everyone

when you actually ended up dating it was just chalked up to fate and never questioned again

Shoma had never let on that he liked you in the beginning, and even after you started dating he maintained a cucumber cool attitude unless you were totally and completely alone

he couldn’t stand excessive PDA

(e.g. kissing, cuddling, hugging, holding hands, speaking to each other, sitting on the same sofa, being in the same room...)

and was only ever affectionate when he was sure no one but you could see or hear him

Shoma is a sweet snuggle baby when you were alone

still doesn’t talk much and rarely initiates skinship but is totally down for whatever you want

sit in his lap, scratch his scalp, stay up all night watching movies and playing games then take a nap, take lots of naps, lots and lots of naps

likes displays of affection, just leave the public part out of it

because pda makes him shy and he doesn’t like to feel shy

but he’s very giggly when he’s shy

and he’s very cute when giggly

so you tend to tease him anyway, especially because you know he’ll genuinely get pouty over it and pouty!Shoma is a rare and beautiful sight to behold

(he is truly just too cute for words but he doesn’t even know it I love him so much oh my goodness)

really has no idea why you even like him, Shoma is sure it’s just a stroke of a luck on his part or a case of insanity on yours

doesn't consider himself at all lovable

but you and I think he's the most precious thing in the world

Shoma used to worry about the fact that your love and affection was on level 2000 like all the time, when he could barely muster up a 7.8 on a good day

because even tho he truly truly cares about you, he’s not very good at expressing it

for the first few months of dating he’d go out of his way and force himself to be lovey dovey or else end up stressing about whether or not you knew how he really felt

but you did know and after you’d assured him of this at least ten thousand and eighty seven times, he finally believed you

and it ended up being what Shoma likes the most about you

that you understand him

he can be very stoic and unmovable and occasionally go full mental shut down when he’s stressed

“Emotion” Is Not Available. Please check again later...

but you don’t take it personally and just wait for him to reboot in his own time, and Shoma appreciates that more than you’ll ever know

whether he’s shy and cute, or powerful and super cool, or even on total lockdown, you accept his moods for what they are

this has caused Shoma to place more trust in you than anyone else in the world

he knows that if his nerves of steel finally give, or if that dam in his brain breaks and a wave of emotion suddenly slaps him in the face, you’ll be there to comfort him in any way he needs

whether it’s to cry and scream and get angry for him, or just sit quietly and pet his hair, in his heart Shoma knows that you’ll be there

and because you never pressured him or expected more than he could give, in time Shoma found himself naturally growing more loving and now shows affection in his own little ways

instead of accepting all the cuddles and giving none of his own, Shoma’s love and sweetness levels skyrocket all the way to a 12.4 (a record high)

he still gets a little embarrassed in public, but occasionally he’ll let his guard down and be just a lil bit cute no matter who is watching

yeah, it might make him all stupid and giggly and adorable, but you get equally stupid and giggly and adorable so it’s totally worth it

medals and trophies and ribbons are great and all that

but there is nothing in the world he loves more than your smile, and Shoma considers himself extremely lucky to have won a place in your heart

[magicaleggplant]

replies to shoma costuming hysteria (and other things)

----------------

Hi! Do you know why Yuzuru is not part of Stars onIce 2017? :)

he’s probably focusing on preparing for 4CC and worlds.

Regarding Yuna's faith, if I remember correctly, she became Catholic when she had back surgery.

i see!

O..M...G....Why??? Why would Shoma and his team change his already gorgeous FS costume to this ugly new one?! 😩😭 Are they secretly punishing him for trying to kill himself with the added quads??

either 1) no one loved him enough to stop him from wearing that Thing, or 2) someone suggested it to him and he AGREED TO IT. either way, i hate literally everyone for letting this happen.

Eggplant, I would like to send a message to Shoma but I can't seem to figure out how to word it other than "HOLY SHIT WHAT ARE YOU WEARING CHANGE IT BACK DUMBASS". Should I try to wait for the visceral horror to abate so I don't just shriek my horror at him? Any advice on how to word it?

talk about how much you love the first costume, how well it fit the program, how sad you are to see it go, etc. wish him good luck for the rest of the season. try not to tell him he has the fashion sense of a piece of roadkill, even though it may be tempting to do so.

I SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THE COSTUME AND NO MATTER WHAT I SAY ABOUT HOW THE COSTUME DOESNT MATTER IF THE SKATING IS AMAZEBALLS I STILL WAN T TO CRY

ok, real talk: i love the program and part of it is because of his packaging. PACKAGING AND COSTUMING MATTERS. it helps sell the program. the old costume made him look older and more mature. it made the program more believable. this new costume is so ugly and cheap-looking it distracts from his skating and program. it's hard to be taken seriously when you're doing a tango wearing something that looks like it came from a secondhand clothing store! and like, it'd be almost acceptable if he'd started out like that but he already had a great costume to begin with! i’m just, WHAT IS HIS TEAM THINKING

I like how at the beginning of his performance in his new costume, his face just says "that's right, I'm about to SLAY them with this fashion" and instead we all hate it.

HERE’S A TIP: ASK LITERALLY ANYONE ON THE STREET WHICH COSTUME IS BETTER BEFORE CHANGING YOUR COSTUME i’m so alskfdjaslfkjasfdj

why is shoma like this,,,,,,,,, shoma uNO!!!!!!

raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by shoma uno

mom, is it too late now to say sorry? i'd be lying if i said dai'll never break your heart or make you cry again. i'll go full chicken arm next time. love from ur son, dos.

D I S O W N E D (i’m laughing/crying at this ask, thank you)

@harsiese: is shoma loco??? that orange stripe omfg... how could he drop his awesome fs costume. ok my theory is that he skates very well while in ugly costumes, I mean, it's his natural habitat. (i still love him)

but he was already skating well in his nice costume!! like?? is he...changing everything up mid-season in order to convince himself it’s the start of a new season again? to help with peaking or whatever? that’s my theory, anyway, but WHAT IS HE DOING WE JUST DON’T KNOW

3 best/fave shoma costumes and 3 worst costumes?

i’m too tired to find photos for this but i can tell you now that loco ver.1 is his best costume ever and loco ver.2 is one of his worst. lmao.

what if that strip orange is actually nude mesh attempt that has wrong skintone

it’s also sparkly. i’m just. it’s probably supposed to be orange, but. jesus christ

this season shoma HAD the best fs costume, i mean it was so fabulous he looked manly and sparkly adjagss why did he do this? *cries in spanish*

welcome to life as a shoma fan, everything is pain

You know, I also hate the new costume but your tumblr and twitter are making my day so... I should thank him for that xD

glad to entertain, enjoy my salt about this for the next 10 years. the trauma is real. i’m gonna be doing random unrelated things and suddenly i’ll have a flashback to dead chicken costume 2k17

@theyoungprinceandprincess:  shoma is going to go full chicken for pyeongchang

like at this point he could just straight-up borrow dai’s chicken arm costume and i’d be like. of course. of fucking course.

Of course Shoma would put a dead chicken on his shoulder. Beloved Dai did it and Hanyu-senpai also has something flapping about on one of his as well. It is JFS Couture.

shoma is truly dai's son. dai's full chicken costume had a baby chicken. this tragic legacy is their curse.

I feel so bad for all the victimised Shoma fan but I just can't help but laugh at the costume (and the collective disdain. hahaha) The Men of Team Japan's bad outfit tradition lives on. hahaha.. Seriously though, did he ever explain why he changed costume?

but this is even worse because HE HAD SUCH A GOOD COSTUME BEFORE AND HE THREW IT AWAY TO WEAR A DEAD CHICKEN INSTEAD. THIS IS THE REAL PAIN OF BETRAYAL!!!! none of the other TJ men with ugly costumes have done this before!!! shoma has surpassed them all in TERRIBLE LIFE CHOICES. and no, he never said why he changed it.

oh eggplant i'm so upset over shoma's free skate disaster of a costume... i just had to send him a suggestion on his website. why would he do this ahahdhsjsa 😫😫

thank you for continuing our struggle. #stopdeadchickencostume2k17

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap 4CC 2019 - Men SP

Who would have guessed that Vincent Zhou would lead after the SP?

Me? Never, because he is so proned to get URs that I never thought he would get a pass today, probably being in the US and Nathan not there helped but anyway good SP and much improved artistically compared to last season. The 4Lz3T combo was really good! The PCS seem a tad high though...well...Congrats for taking 1st today!

Junhwan Cha is a stellar performer this season. He really is someone that can be a big contender in seniors. He was very good! Imo he lacks a bit connection to the audience. I can't lose the feeling of a B. Orser bonus...97 points, only 3 points away from Vincent who does 2 quads? Wow!

Boyang Jin...where do I start? Jump problems is something that caused him the lackluster season. So I hope that does not continue, but he was injured and I don't know if he still is. Anyway he loves his program and his fun makes me smile. The golden blades are eye-catching, I am still not sure if I like this distracting thing. On pics it definitely looks cool. Well the score was "low" , not totally unexpected because of the 4Lz mistake, but only 1 point away from Shoma (who wasn't error free at all) although he did two quads and had only one mistake? Shows you that he doesn’t get the massive GOEs of neither Junhwan or Vincent even where no mistakes were in the elements. Btw nice 3A!

Here come my babbling about Shoma:

Shoma 😭❤️

I think Shoma skated very cautious today. Of course he isn't anywhere near 100% having injured his ankle 3 times in one month. 😭😭😭 He wasn't at full pace and the changed layout took its toll and didn't quite work, but what else was he supposed to do? Well maybe not competing, but that's Shoma we talk about and he hardly ever withdraws...I think the score isn't too bad, highest PCS still even if it is only a few tenths, the program is still brilliant but if he isn't on fire it doesn't spark its charme so much.

Shoma is in 4th but not far away from 3rd and Junhwan Cha doesn't quite have the content to surpass Shoma in the FS but with the cushion it could work and the state Shoma is in right now. Boyang and Vincent have a 10 point higher BV than Shoma. That is an advantage to them, without any mistakes and the PCS they get so far😑 they could be hard to catch. So the odds aren't in Shoma's favor, but who knows...I still believe Shoma can make it, but it won't be easy and it isn't all in his own hands. And he is injured, I know it isn't an excuse and he won't use it, but c'mon "loosing" in those circumstances is understandable. Such a shame that always when Shoma is the clear favorit to win he is injured, I have Worlds 2018 déja vu...😢

Go Shoma! I believe in you! ❤️

Keegan Messing was enjoyable! I really like the program. His unusual way of jumping seems to tip him off balance so he can't get the highest GOEs though he was clean. I don't agree that his PCS should be in the same area as Junhwan and Boyang and Vincent. He connects much better to the audience and his performance wasn't worse than them. Hm...

Jason Brown...well Jason I really wanted to get him to the podium...his skating is so beautiful. 😍 But sure if you don't have a quad, the 3A not working, for this skate he came off quite good with 86 points. Hm...right now I just wish for a beautiful FS and the placement surely won't be on the podium...

Keiji Tanaka and Kazuki Tomono just show once again that they have a lot to work on, mainly nerves and consistency, to settle themselves further to the top. Puh...

Sorry ranting ahead...The PCS here at 4CC are quite meh 🤮...because almost same PCS for Junhwan, Keegan, Boyang and Vincent with 42. And only 2 points more for Jason and Shoma. And there are huge gaps between those two and the rest mentioned. And Keiji gets only 40 PCS??? The diversity should be greater. How is it possible all get quite the same??? Seems like judges couldn't decide, but that's not right....and this is why I can't take PCS judging seriously. I hope the differences in the FS are bigger, but so far I doubt it...don't get me wrong I don't think the whole placement today wasn't fair and that points should have been totally different but still you could see favoritism and downplaying and you still can see what is very wrong with the system that if you do a quad your PCS rise too and if you fail a thing the PCS drop significantly. (I know that PCS limit is part of the rule now but that doesn't make it right)

But overall the men (at least the last two groups that I have seen) delivered good programs without falls. Mistakes of course, but no falling in every jump and that's definitely a good thing!

Good luck to all competitors in the FS! May the judges treat you fairly and all the same! 🙏

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap GPF 2017 Men SP

First of all a Grand Prix Final without Yuzu and Javi and also Patrick does not feel like a true GPF! It is still a wonderful competition, but it is not the best of the best in the world!

Instead it is now the competition with the survivors of this season! A special focus, a showdown between survivors Shoma and Nathan!

And well the SP is still less proned to be a splatfest than the FS and it was not a splatfest, but far from perfect!

Omg Shoma what was this fall???😱😂 And it looked so funny, anyway he could laugh about it and seeing him all smiles is worth any result. 💙

The rest of Shoma's program was great and if there would not have been the fall utterly amazing! 👏 Did a skater ever got such a high score above 100 with a fall? I don't think so....so congrats Shoma you are the first to go beyond 100 with a fall 😁 (don't take me seriously)

I really like Nathan's SP, the music stays in my head everytime I see it. The perfomance was great for the last minute, but a program is 3 minutes long and for me Nathan still focus to much on his jumps. So I thought his PCS and even his TES were a bit high. The jump landings were not good at all, he was even lucky to not get a UR call for his 4Lz. I think it is fine that he is in first place because of the overall image (someone with a fall to be first would probably have looked a bit biased...)

Mikhail Kolyada is a great skater. His 4Lz was not bad though he fell, the rest of his jumps were really great. Still I don't know what to think of the program. Parts are nice, but I still think it lacks a bit charme, that Kolyada can portray.

Sergei's fugly costume is still there. Sorry Sergei I get distracted everytime. 🙈 Such a shame for the 3A. He really could have set himself apart from Adam and Jason. Now they are all somewhere in the same point zone. None of them stands a chance for medals if the Top 3 don't mess up spectacularly.

Jason is a ray of sunshine and I love his interpretation of Hamilton. It gets you in a good mood. But he really needs to stop doing stupid mistakes on jumps that are easy for him. Also if you don't do quads your chances for a clean skate should go up. With Jason that does not seem to happen...anyway he is a great performer 😊.

Adam is a bit too much for me to handle...I think the SP suits him well and I can see no other skater who could do such a program. But it still feels more like a gala program...okay Adam's SP style is not my cup of tea...

So results are not unexpected, maybe some scores (?)...anyway still everything open for the two groups of 3. 3 on top and 3 for the 4th place.

Good luck to all skaters for the FS!